The need for inventorying and monitoring of biodiversity

 

Biological diversity, that is, the variety of life on Earth is a result of millions of years of evolution and thousands of years of cultivation of plants and domestication of animals.

Why identify and monitor biological diversity?

Successful, long-term conservation of an area or ecosystem relies on knowledge of its biological diversity and integrated efforts to protect and manage that diversity in a sustainable manner. Full understanding of biological diversity, even in a small area, require decades, if not centuries, of intensive research.

Understanding biological diversity is critical for its sustainable use and safeguarding it for the benefit of future generations.

Identifying and monitoring biological diversity is a huge and potentially infinite task given its variability in time and space and different levels.

Biological surveys, inventories, and monitoring can, provide the basic knowledge required to enhance local scientific and technical expertise and to initiate sound conservation strategies.

Inventorying or the identification and monitoring the components of biological diversity is  important for its conservation and sustainable use. Inventory is a one-off survey or assessment with no intention to remeasure while  Monitoring assesses change or trends by re-measuring the same variables over time.

The biological diversity is dynamic, continually evolving and changing in response to biotic and abiotic fluctuations and other environmental pressures. It is necessary to record in time and space its status and, subsequently, monitor it in order to identify changes and assess their impacts. Such impacts may require intervention or mitigation measures to safeguard the future conservation, including sustainable use, of biological diversity. 

]For example, it is crucial to identify species present in areas of natural habitat ahead of any changes in land use in order to assess what diversity may be lost from a locality. This is particularly important to tropical ecosystems, where endemic species are more than in temperate regions and, hence the risks of species becoming globally extinct may be greater.

The accuracy, adequacy and interpretation of inventories are important when determining the relevance of species lists to the conservation and management of biological diversity.

Benefits

Biological inventories provide a finer view of biological diversity and can be used to establish national conservation programs and policies

1)                  These efforts tell us the status of biodiversity, and also identify valuable biological resources, some of which are unknown, while others are locally known but have potential for much wider use.

2)                      Inventories and surveys also provide baseline data against which to monitor changes in biological diversity and to trace the environmental impacts of development projects.